Country Name: New Zealand

Capital: Wellington

Government Type: parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Background: Polynesian settlers may have arrived in New Zealand in the late 1200s, with widespread settlement in the mid-1300s. They called the land Aotearoa, which legend holds is the name of the canoe that Kupe, the first Polynesian in New Zealand, used to sail to the country; the name Aotearoa is now in widespread use as the local Maori name for the country. Competition for land and resources led to intermittent fighting between different Maori iwi (tribes) by the 1500s as large game became extinct. Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to see the islands in 1642 but after an encounter with local Maori, he sailed away. British captain James Cook was the next European to arrive in New Zealand in 1769, followed by whalers, sealers, and traders. The UK only nominally claimed New Zealand and included it as part of New South Wales in Australia. Concerns about increasing lawlessness led the UK to appoint its first British Resident in New Zealand in 1832, although he had few legal powers. In 1835, some Maori iwi from the North Island declared independence as the United Tribes of New Zealand. Fearing an impending French settlement and takeover, they asked the British for protection. In 1840, the British negotiated their protection in the Treaty of Waitangi, which was eventually signed by more than 500 different Maori chiefs, although many chiefs did not or were not asked to sign. In the English-language version of the treaty, the British thought the Maori ceded their land to the UK, but translations of the treaty appeared to give the British less authority, and land tenure issues stemming from the treaty are still present and being actively negotiated in New Zealand.

The UK declared New Zealand a separate colony in 1841 and gave it limited self-government in 1852. Different traditions of authority and land use led to a series of wars from the 1840s to the 1870s fought between Europeans and various Maori iwi. Along with disease, these conflicts halved the Maori population. In the 1890s, New Zealand initially expressed interest in joining independence talks with Australia but ultimately opted against it and changed its status to an independent dominion in 1907. New Zealand provided more than 100,000 troops during each World War, many of whom fought as part of the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC). New Zealand reaffirmed its independence in 1947, signed the Australia, New Zealand, and US (ANZUS) Treaty, and militarily supported the US in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Beginning in 1984, New Zealand began to adopt nuclear-free policies, contributing to a dispute with the US over naval ship visits that led the US to suspend its defense obligations to New Zealand in 1986.

In recent years, New Zealand has explored reducing some of its ties to the UK. There in an active, minority movement about changing New Zealand to a republic, and in 2015-16, a referendum on changing the New Zealand flag to remove the Union Jack failed 57% to 43%.

Region: Oceania

Population: 5,109,702 (2023 est.)

Ethnic Groups: European 64.1%, Maori 16.5%, Chinese 4.9%, Indian 4.7%, Samoan 3.9%, Tongan 1.8%, Cook Islands Maori 1.7%, English 1.5%, Filipino 1.5%, New Zealander 1%, other 13.7% (2018 est.)

Languages: English (de facto official) 95.4%, Maori (de jure official) 4%, Samoan 2.2%, Northern Chinese 2%, Hindi 1.5%, French 1.2%, Yue 1.1%, New Zealand Sign Language (de jure official) 0.5%, other or not stated 17.2% (2018 est.)

Religions: Christian 37.3% (Catholic 10.1%, Anglican 6.8%, Presbyterian and Congregational 5.2%, Pentecostal 1.8%, Methodist 1.6%, Church of Jesus Christ 1.2%, other 10.7%), Hindu 2.7%, Maori 1.3%, Muslim, 1.3%, Buddhist 1.1%, other religion 1.6% (includes Judaism, Spiritualism and New Age religions, Baha'i, Asian religions other than Buddhism), no religion 48.6%, objected to answering 6.7% (2018 est.)

Economic Overview: high-income Pacific island economy; strong agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, and energy sectors; reliant on Chinese market for exports; sustained growth; low unemployment; high living standards; sharp growth post COVID-19 lockdown

Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)

Reserves of Foreign Exchange & Gold: $14.4 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $231.534 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2017 dollars

Real GDP Growth Rate: 2.85% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per Capita: $45,200 (2022 est.) note: data in 2017 dollars

Exports: 

• $57.485 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

• Comparison Ranking: 66

Export Commodities: milk cream powders, lumber, beef, butter, mutton (2021)

Export Partners: China 33%, Australia 12%, United States 11%, Japan 6%, South Korea 3% (2021)

Imports: 

• $71.35 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

• Comparison Ranking: 58

Import Commodities: cars, refined petroleum, crude petroleum, delivery trucks, broadcasting equipment, gas turbines (2021)

Import Partners: China 22%, Australia 15%, United States 7%, Japan 6%, Thailand 5% (2021)

Natural Resources: natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone

Agricultural Products: milk, beef, kiwi fruit, apples, potatoes, mutton, grapes, wheat, barley, green onions/shallots

Industries: agriculture, forestry, fishing, logs and wood articles, manufacturing, mining, construction, financial services, real estate services, tourism

Industrial Production Growth Rate: 

• 3.94% (2021 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

• Comparison Ranking: 98

Labor Force: 2.971 million (2022 est.)

Unemployment Rate: 3.3% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Natural Hazards: earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity

• Volcanism: significant volcanism on North Island; Ruapehu (2,797 m), which last erupted in 2007, has a history of large eruptions in the past century; Taranaki has the potential to produce dangerous avalanches and lahars; other historically active volcanoes include Okataina, Raoul Island, Tongariro, and White Island; see note 2 under "Geography - note"

Geography:

• Total: 268,838 sq km

• Land: 264,537 sq km

• Water: 4,301 sq km

(Country Summary, The World Factbook, CIA.gov)

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